xMarlboroMan

Just got a disturbing email from an eBay seller:

"Ebay no longer allows electronic cigarettes or cartridges to be sold please vist my web site to make purchases www.thekickitstick.com."

First thing I did was check eBay. They still have listings with "electronic cigarette" in the title, so I don't know if this means this particular sellers listings were closed, or if eBay is in the middle of a crack down .

Anyone else heard anything about this?

TheKickItStick

I sell e-cigs and cartridges on ebay and they removed my listings today because they said electronic cigarettes and cartridges cant be sold any more. They even stuck me with paying all the fees with the listings I made :-(

I do have a website though it is The Kick It Stick : Home check it out guys!

Primus

Maybe it's because you are marketing them as smoking cessation devices. I think that's a no-no.

TheKickItStick

this is what ebay sent me

Dear thekickitstick (rob@thekickitstick.com),

You recently listed the following Fixed Price listing:

220371636513 - 20 Pen Electronic Cigarette Cartridges e-cig = 18 packs


Unfortunately, we had to remove your listing because the following information violates our policy:

Because of various regulatory issues, cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco products are not allowed on eBay. This includes herbal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), as well as replacement tobacco cartridges for electronic cigarettes.



We notified members who placed bids on the item that the listing has been canceled.

eBay does not permit listings for most alcoholic beverages and tobacco products on our U.S. Web site. This includes cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. In addition, non-U.S. members are not allowed to sell alcohol to an eBay member who is located in the United States.

However, listings for some tobacco- or alcohol-related collectibles, such as packaging, containers, and other memorabilia, are permitted on eBay under certain conditions. We understand that some unopened tobacco products may be considered collectible. Sellers are permitted to list these types of items, even if they contain a real tobacco product, under the following conditions and as long as the item description contains the following statements:

Conditions:
- Sellers must take steps to ensure that the buyer is at least 18 years old.
- Buyers and sellers are responsible for ensuring that any transaction involving tobacco complies with all applicable laws and shipping regulations.

Statements:
- Bidders must be at least 18 years old.
- The package has not been opened, but the product within is not for consumption.
- The seller will ensure that the sale complies with all applicable laws and shipping regulations.
- The value of the item is in the collectible packaging, not in the tobacco itself.
- The collectible tobacco packaging is not available at any retail outlet.
- The value of the packaging is substantially greater than the current retail price of the tobacco product in the package.

For more information on this eBay policy, please visit:

Tobacco





Please note: violation of this or other eBay policies may result in forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, limits on account privileges and account suspension.

You can review our list of prohibited and restricted items here:
Prohibited and Restricted Items - Overview

Your listing(s) may be eligible for relisting through My eBay. If your listing is eligible, you will see the listing in your Unsold Items page within My eBay. Listings that are not eligible for relisting will not be visible in the Unsold Items page.

To relist your item, sign in to eBay, go to My eBay to your Unsold items, and select the item that was canceled -- it's highlighted with a yellow banner. Before relisting, please make any changes necessary to ensure that your revised listing is in compliance with the law and eBay policies. You might want to check your other listings for similar violations as well.

Thanks for your understanding.

Sincerely,

eBay Trust and Safety team

xMarlboroMan

I don't know much about how ebay operates. They are so big, I would have to say someone reported you. At first I thought maybe it was just the US vendors they were targeting, but there are still several US vendors listings. However, I wonder if why theirs is still up is because they don't list them as auctions, but in their eBay "store". ?!?!

Like I said, I don't know anything about how ebay operates, so this is just a random thought

TheKickItStick

yea i have no clue but its a bummer because I just made a website and i was going to use ebay to atract people to it

xMarlboroMan

I think you can do just as well if you participate in the electronic cigarette forums (here, ECF, etc).

I did notice (now I haven't checked a bunch of eBayers), but it looks like they ones that are still selling have their listings as Product Type : Smoking Cessation, Smoking Cessation Product: Alternative Therapies, Purifier, Vaporizer Product : Vaporizers.


Advertising it as a vaporizer is one thing, but electronic cigarettes are not a Cessation device.

TheKickItStick

yea thats what I was thinking too. Oh well hopefully the website will catch on once I get more product

Kamanjah

I just noticed yesterday that eBay had closed a bunch of listings, but only the ones in the US. There are still liquids and carts for sale, and a bunch of new listings today that they haven't shut down yet. One I looked at was listed under cosmetics!

I tried finding electronic cigarettes in their 'banned list' yesterday and couldn't. Looks like they tried to ban you as a tobacco seller, did you have Marlboro or Camel flavors listed? I don't see how they can ban a non-tobacco item as tobacco, but fighting eBay and their decisions is like trying to cut a tree down with a nail file!

Maybe if a bunch of sellers get together, they could get an attorney to look at the issue. Of course, that could open new cans of worms.....

You could also try selling the components separately with a special for combining shipping. I think as long as you don't call it a cessation device or nicotine replacement therapy you meet all of their requirements. It's definitely not tobacco, it's not a controlled drug, it passes their "Drug paraphernalia examples (permitted): Products traditionally intended for use with tobacco products, including hookah pipes and pipes made from briar, clay, corncob, meerschaum or similar materials." description, the only thing they could possibly ding you for is the actual product description, see their "Describing Drugs or Drug-like Substances" page.

Best Wishes!

xMarlboroMan

I was thinking the same thing about selling the parts separately. Kinda like bying from a headshop As long as you don't really say what its for, but it is assumed by both parties (BTW, that is all I know about headshops...,no really.) :P

Kamanjah

They just deleted all the listings again, so I went to their help section about tobacco and posted this comment:
"You are banning electronic cigarettes, I asked a seller why the listing was gone and was told you banned it as tobacco. There is no tobacco whatsoever in them or with them or associated with them. I use them. I haven't touched tobacco in 49 days. Now I can't buy my vaporizer kits in the US on your site, I have to import it from UK or China? I am totally confused! I really DON'T want to start smoking tobacco again, please allow the sale of these items or tell me at {my email address} why I can't buy them on your site. I need to understand what's going on!!!"

Will post if they reply!

xMarlboroMan

Yes, please keep us informed. I would be really interested in why they keep the China and UK listings and not the US ones.

xMarlboroMan

Just got another PM about eBay blocking all electronic cigarette sales. The seller told me that him, and a lot of other sellers have moved over to ebid.net. I have not check it out yet; in fact I don't think I have ever heard of ebid.net. A quick search under the US eBid site shows 49 "electronic cigarette" listings. Searching US auctions only on eBay for "electronic cigarettes" shows 58 listings, but mostly cases/chargers/atomizers/batteries and liquid; no complete kits that I can see.

TheKickItStick

i put up two listings yesterday for some cartridges I took out any references to electronic cigarettes at all. I just put cartridges for njoy, and dse801. So far have not been deleted we will have to see. THIS IS CRAP :-(

VapeMonkey

I dont understand why they would remove the listings, after all they are not tobacco products or regulated in any way. After all, these things are legal and not banned in the US, you can buy them in any mall in my area, Northern Virginia. Are they trying to preempt a ban or cover their asses?

xMarlboroMan

Ya, I'm not quite sure what eBay is thinking. Probably trying to cover the asses since it is hard to verify the age of the buyer... but wait, don't they have a section for age restricted "adult material"?... so that can't be the reason.

I've been checking out ebid.net instead. There appears to be some listings for electronic cigarettes on there. I don't know much about ebid, but at least there are alternatives.